Texas Democrats revel in Perry’s first election defeat

The party that has dreamed for more than a decade of Gov. Rick Perry’s demise is reveling in his dismal finish in the first GOP presidential contest in Iowa.

“This [presidential run] has revealed some chinks in his armor that Democrats can capitalize on,” said Joe Deshotel, an Austin-based Democratic political consultant. “This shows he is not unbeatable. We all feel vindicated that the rest of the country is seeing what Texas Democrats have always seen.”

Democrats gathered Tuesday night in Austin to watch the votes being counted in Iowa. The atmosphere was laid-back but tinged with an air of satisfaction as they watched the governor’s share of the Iowa votes hover in the single digits.

The loss “will validate to the world what a nonsensical character all of us in Texas have known for a decade,” said Luis Zervigon, a leader of the Williamson County Democratic Party. “It will be satisfying when Perry comes home with his tail between his legs, because that will equate to a loss of prestige and power, even among Republicans. He’ll be damaged goods.”

Deshotel and others see it as a prime opportunity for the party, which hasn’t won a statewide office in nearly 20 years, to revive itself.

“The oldest play in the book is to point out someone’s hypocrisy, which for Rick Perry is his love for federal money,” Deshotel said. “Democrats will have to mount a campaign, and this presidential campaign could be the catalyst for Texas Democrats to awaken.”

Republicans scoff at the notion that Perry’s loss in Iowa and performance on the campaign trail will lead to any Texas Democratic electoral wins. Allen Blakemore, a Republican political consultant, said other primaries won’t affect Texas voters, who simply prefer Republicans.

“That seems something of a reach for folks clearly desperate for good news,” said Allen Blakemore, a Republican political consultant. “The Iowa loss just means that [Perry’s] road to the White House is uphill. His showing in this primary doesn’t have any impact on the fact that Texas is still a red state.”

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